“Freaks of nature”, “naturally talented”, or “really nice guys” are the words you often hear when people in the Australian Waveski Surfing community describe two brothers from Coffs Harbour on the north coast of NSW. You often draw parallels with the famous Waugh brothers renowned for their overwhelming success in Australian cricket. However the natural sporting talent of these boys is not just limited to the brothers in this family. There is a history of sporting achievements in the Duncan family. Rees Duncan the 2nd, their grandfather, captained and coached the Manly Warringah Rugby League team, was an Australia Rugby League test member in 1952 and was recently honoured by the NRL at a memorial in 2004.

Rees Duncan Jnr (the 4th) won his 6th Australian title this year in his 22 years of waveski surfing. Rees took the crown from his brother, Khane (also know as ‘Rip’) who won his 2nd Australian title in the 2004. They both ride Wavemasters and often swap boards throughout a comp, however it’s often said that they could both surf just as well strapped to an old plank of wood.

Rees : I started waveski surfing when I was 11 and jumped on an old ski of my Dads. Dad and Steve Bailey, were among the founding members of the Clarence Valley Waveski Club. They both got me into the sport and I remember picnic days at Arrawarra. When they were finished I would jump in and muck around in the shore break. One day they decided to score me when the other guys were surfing out at the point and the incentive went from there and I just kept competing.

When I started surfing competitively, John Christensen was one of the main driving competitors. I surfed bridesmaid to John at so many Australian titles up to the year I got out of the comp scene. I had made 10-11 Australian finals in a row and out of them I had only won one of them and most of the time I got second and John was the main guy taking it off me. That was more of my undoing, in the final anyone could win it, I know I was good enough to win it and just didn’t hold it together in the final, nerves or whatever got to me. Trying to beat Christo was a driving force. But I am usually very driven to win regardless. I’ve always want to break Christo’s record of 8 Australian titles, but I’m getting old so it’s going to be bloody hard.

When I won the 1989 World Titles in Cornwall, it was such a buzz. I was only 16 and had just come out of a major car accident and didn’t expect to do that well. I had a lot of lower back problems and to then get through when I was just hoping to win the junior title. There were 20,000 people on the beach, all standing waist deep and you would try and do your last manoeuvre and you had to dodge the crowd. It was absolutely amazing experience and to win at 16 it was a pretty big deal. I didn’t expect to do it and I was so stoked just to be in the final. It was something like you see on TV for the proboard riders. The crowd was there, it was summer, it was their main beach venue and they got behind it all.

My first recollection of surfing with Khane was at Broomes Head. I was still on my first ski and he was about 9 and he jumped on my ski and played around in the shore break the same as me. Real waveski surfing came a lot later because Khane rode a surfboard up until he was 14.

It was a long time down the track before I was competing against Khane. I had left home and he started taking it up with dad. The first time Khane beat me was in 2000 at a Newcastle comp and he beat me in the final. It was good to come across Khane in the final at the 2004 Aussies. Its great for us both to be there, and if I can’t win it, the next best thing is if for him to win it. In the final at the 2004 Aussies, Khane had surfed 7 times and was dragging his paddle and I told him to get out there and get one more wave and he did and he won. It’s always good to have your family in the same sport as you.

I rarely surf with Khane these days. Every year we say that we have to start training for the Aussies. I would surf most mornings at 6 running up to a big comp and Khane never shows, not even on the weekends. He probably surfs less on a waveski than I do, but he rides his surfboard a bit. I really only surf 5 or 6 times a year when the local guys drag me out. Everytime I surf I really enjoy it and wish I do it more but when you have a family other things come into play. The drive for me now is the social aspects of the sport. The events at Emerald Beach are laid back, you get to catch up with the old crew.

In terms of further challenges in the sport to overcome, there’s not really that many. I succeeded at such a young age, a lot of it has come naturally. I trained and had coaches at an early age. It’s all second nature and the biggest challenge today is just a matter of trying to keep fit and be fit on the day. Unfortunately as you get older injuries play a bit part in it.

In particular the shoulder injury that kept me out of the open final of the 2001 Aussies. I had dislocated that shoulder 4 times prior to that comp and it would pop out and go back in and I would just keep surfing. I believe that shoulder has been injured since the World Titles at Duranbah. I just thought there were torn muscles, but obviously it is something that has developed over the years. The doctors say if I want to keep competing I need to have the operation done and that puts me 12 months out of any form of sport which I just can’t do. I just try and restrict myself and bulk up in muscle tone to hold it together. If I am free surfing I just have to hold it back. So I need to do light weights to build the muscles up apart from that I think surfing is probably the best training you can do.

I'm keen to compete in a world titles again particularly if its in Australia or maybe NZ – it’s a pretty big ask for your family, you spend a week or two on the beach and they don’t really get to see anything. Or you can go without your familyand you miss them – its catch 22.

It’s a shame that the sport is decreasing in numbers. At 32 I am still one of the youngest competitors. When I started and got competitive at 13, there were quite a few kids my age then. Its obviously one of those sports that’s hard to get juniors into: the size and cost of the board and parents have to drive them around. For example with my boys, I would love for them to be out there surfing with me but I don’t really care what board they ride, as long as they are in the water.

Waveski surfing is a great sport. The standard we have in Australia is still quite high. We are all probably partially to blame because we probably haven’t dragged other people in and pushed it enough and put back enough into the sport and that goes through to the top riders. We need to make sure that the better riders, those that have been around for awhile give back to the sport. Neil Decker has been giving back into the sport for years and years and probably doesn’t get the support and recognition he rightfully deserves.

Khane: The first time I tried to ride a waveski I was 9 and on one of Rees of old boards. I remember falling off in the shore dump, my legs were so little, my foot went straight through, I rolled over and thought I was going to drown. Rees and Dad got me into the sport as I was body boarding originally and then it progressed from there. I went in my first comp when I was 14 at Emerald Beach.

The sport was a lot stronger when Rees was in his element and I was just there for the ride and just there in the car travelling to comps. When I got a bit older, Rees stopped and it was up to me. I had a bit of a break for 3-4 years as well and then got back into at the Aussies in 2000 and got second then.

I also do heaps of stand up surfing. It helps with riding a waveski. With stand up surfing you have to ride your rails a lot more and be a lot more critical and you can relate it back to the waveski.

It’s always good to have Rees around and to compete with. He’s done everything that I’ve wanted to achieve. He knows what to do to get there training and mental wise and been to the world events - it’s an added bonus to have him there. When I surf against Rees it’s not competitive. It’s good to have him out there, if one of us needs a wave, we just go for it and never have to hassle or fight for a wave. We usually don’t surf against each other in a comp until the last few heats or the final. Still it’s good when I win one against him, he’s had his titles.

We also work together in the same family business in Financial Planning. Dad started the business 17 yrs ago. Dad had an excellent lifestyle from it so when the opportunity came along I took it on. Rees and I have our own clients and don’t have any conflict in anyway.

The first world titles I went to was in Spain in 2001. I was on a high after winning the Aussies that year. It was completely different competition and didn’t know what to expect. I did well and stayed in the main flow and came second it was a bonus and second to another Aussie was pretty good.

I was pretty impressed with surfers like Matt Babaritz. I’ve always liked Nicki Carsten style, particularly what I can remember even going back to when Rees was competing against him – he’s got a board riding style, ability to pocket ride. I really like Neil Stephenson’s style, he’s awesome. He also has a typical board riding style, so vertical, pocket nose style.

Coming into an Aussie titles, I probably only train 4 or 6 weeks out with a surf of a morning nothing too strenuous. Just need to make sure I can sit on it and paddle. One of the key things for me in a comp is to not take a full serious approach at a comp. I just rock up and go for it, also make sure my equipment is up to date and have the fitness through surfing and paddle training.

The biggest wave I’ve been on was Ulladulla 2003, before the Aussie titles. It was out of control and I went out with Booney and Dave. It was a solid 12-15 ft with a 20ft face. I tried to roll under one wave, it was about 4ft thick and I was ready to pull the pin. It dragged me all the way to the shore and I wished I was on my surfboard so I could just pop it under the wave.

I keep myself motivated by doing lots of surfboard riding. I feel it can get a bit stale if I just ride the waveski all the time. I would love to have a world title under my belt, it would be a great accomplishment to get to the top and then see how it goes there.

Waveski surfing was probably shrinking in numbers when I started serious competition at 16. No one has really come up under me and now I’m 26, I’m one of the youngest in the sport and it’s sad to see its dropping off. I believe the key to the sport is the big manoeuvres. That’s where we are going to get the profile for it as an extreme sport. We need to show them that we can do air corkscrews, air 360’s, like the board riders are doing and that Waveski surfing can be an air fest. We need to keep pulling different things into the sport like the board riders do. We also need to keep the profile high and have the elite people up there.

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